Military Personnel Legal Assistance

A
significant number of military personnel are assigned
within North Carolina. These military personnel and
their family members are provided assistance with their
legal problems typically through the Staff Judge Advocate’s
Office on each base, post, or installation. Many of
the military attorneys assigned to provide this Legal
Assistance are newly graduated from law school. Military
attorneys usually are licensed in a state other than
where they are assigned. The Standing Committee on Legal
Assistance for Military personnel undertakes projects
to:

provide
legal assistance attorneys assigned within North Carolina
greater access to North Carolina law as it bears on
the legal issues they are called upon to address;
and

enable
them to obtain prompt and professional advice from experienced
North Carolina practitioners in relevant areas.

Beginning
in 1983, the Committee implemented a preventative law
handout program. The goals of this periodically updated
and ever expanding series of pamphlets and handouts
are to:

help
prevent legal problems before they arise;

answer
some of the military client’s questions before he
or she is interviewed by a legal assistance attorney;
and

provide
legal assistance attorneys written information on
applicable North Carolina law and procedure.

The
materials that are designed to address the frequently asked questions
of legal assistance clients are called “Take-1” handouts and “The
Legal Eagle.” Those designed as attorney-to-attorney resources for
legal assistance attorneys are called “Co-Counsel Bulletins” and
“Silent Partners.” The Committee also provides an annual CLE program
for military legal assistance attorneys on relevant areas of North
Carolina law. It also attempts to keep the Bar informed, and suggests
additional projects in support, of unique problems for military
personnel and those created by large scale developments of those
stationed at military installations within the State (e.g., Desert
Storm).

Military legal assistance attorneys using this website can research and print the written assistance materials available and locate appropriate subject matter advisors in the statewide network of attorneys identified for that purpose.